Okay so during the night I have terrible dreams all of which I lose someone close to me or everyone and me as well and then when I finally awaken I’m left confused almost believing sometime that it was all real and then once that passes after a few hours its not so but every day and all day I hear voices a mix of what feels like different versions of me and I find myself going over hundreds of different scenarios of things simple and not so simple I’m always jumpy and I can feel when someone is around me before I see them with my own eyes and also I have horrible mood swings something as silly as turning a light on sends me into an angry vile person of which no one has time for and I find myself lost in society I’m fighting myself constantly and people think I’m going crazy and I’m really scared I have a 1 year old daughter and I just want to be a good dad with a job and a stable head but my stupid mistakes I’ve made because I’m too worried about my mind and what’s being said inside it I think I have more than one version of me inside my head and I just want it to be me not the rest of them help please no one will listen.

A. I’m sorry that you are struggling. It’s clear that you want help, especially because of your expressed desire to be a good father to your young daughter. Children need good parenting.

Your symptoms are unusual and concerning. My recommendation is to be evaluated by a mental health professional. You feel that “no one will listen” but a mental health professional will listen and provide treatment for your symptoms.

How can you find a mental health professional? There are multiple ways to do this. One way is to ask your primary care physician for a referral. Another way is to contact your local community mental health center and make an appointment for an evaluation. You can also contact your health insurance company and ask what services they recommend.

Typically, you will first meet with an intake clinician who will gather information about your symptoms and your psychosocial history. Next, you will meet with a mental health professional who will evaluate your symptoms and make recommendations for treatment. The treatment recommendations may include consulting a psychiatrist for medication. Both psychotherapy and medication could greatly assist you in reducing your symptoms and stabilizing your mood.

One of the many advantages of seeing a mental health professional is to gain a trained and objective perspective about your symptoms. They can also provide expert guidance and social and emotional support. I hope you follow my recommendation to seek treatment. Please take care.